Consumer&#39;s method of utilizing liquefied gas



Oct. 16, 1934. P. 5 ENDACQTT 1,977,267 GONSUMERS METHOD OF UTILIZINGLIQUEFIED GAS Filed May 8, 1933 M ll H ll

'l'll lNVENTOR.

BY'Z Z ATT-ORNEYS.

Patented a. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSUMERS METHOD OF UTILIZING LIQUEFIED GAS Paul s. Endacott, Detroit, Mich, asaignor to Phillips Petroleum Company,- Bartlesville,

0kla., a corporation of Delaware Application May 8, 1933, Serial No. 670,043

2 Claims. 01. 221-735) poses by releasing vapors from closed vessels variously termed drums or tanks charged with liquefied gas and reducing the pressure thereof to say approximately one pound per square inch or less so that the gas is suitable for ordinary gas appliances. In order to replenish the supply of liquefied gas in these vessels or to make reasonably sure that there is a sufllcient ll supply of liquefied gas to meet the usual requirements of consumersthere are now in use two systems generally known as the one-drum and the two-drum systems.

According to the system using one drum or vessel, the consumer has on his premises a vessel, for storage of liquefied gas and other equipment for the utilization of the gas. The consumers equipment is generally serviced by the vendor transporting and introducing into the 'vessel a supply of the liquefied gas. In order to make reasonably sure that the consumer will have at all times a ready supply of the liquefiedgas in storage, without attention on the part of the consumer to the equipment, trips are made periodically by truck to the consumers equipment. By including a number of consumers on a route, the service man may with more or less regularity, say every month, attend to the requirements of the consumers without the necessity of any attention whatsoever on the part of the consumer to the equipment. By a weighing operation the service man determines, first, the quantity of liquefied gas consumed and for which the consumer is generally billed and, second, the quantity he has introduced into the vessel to replenish the supply in storage. This system has many advantages mainly among which is the low investment in vessels, since only one vessel is provided as a part of the consumers equipment and it remains on the consumers premises indefinitely. This is in contradistinction to the method using two drums or vessels of like dimensions or capacity as a part of each consumers equipment, altho gas is generally being drawn from but one of the vessels at a time.

The method using two-drums or vessels involves a servicing operation on the part of the consumer as well as the vendor. The consumer, when he has utilized all of the liquefied gas in 5 one vessel, goes to the equipment and, by the manipulation of valves brings into use the second charged vessel. He then notifies the vendor, as by mail or telephone, to come for the empty vessel and replace it with a filled tank. The service man is thus required to either make a special trip to the customer's equipment or in clude it as a stop if traveling a route in order to transport and substitute a charged vessel for that which has been emptied and to be in readiness to be drawn upon when the occasion arises.

The "two-drum system, it will be seen has high geographical areas which have high concentration of population beyond the gas mains, for it is unprofitable for the vendor, or too expensive for the purchaser if these servicing trucks must travel a considerable distance from the vendor's service station or depot.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a practical and economical method of supplying gas to consumers in a manner that they may be reasonably assured of a supply of gas, without the servicing steps on the part of the vendor incident to the one-drum 35 and two-drum" systems above described. With this end in view, as a practical incident of the new method, the consumer may look after the transportation of the charged vessel from the vendor's service station or depot to his equipment and-the return of any'empty or partly discharged vessel to the vendor's station or depot. This transaction may take place while on other business or errands to the locality of these stations or depots, where charged vessels may be obtained. In this way consumers located in rural sections or at points remote from service stations or depots may enjoy the benefits of an efilcient and inexpensive gas for cooking, water heating, and other gas appliances, the cost of transportation being practically negligible, when it is considered that those inhabiting rural sections make frequent trips to and from the more populated sections for supplies, at which time the vessel may be carried on the family automobile or other vehicle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of the method, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown suitable appaliquid state.

ratus whereby the method may be practiced, it being understood that such is merely by way of exthe apparatus thus specifically disclosed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section showing an installation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section thru a vessel containing a major supply and a minor supply of liquefied gas, suitable for transportation on say the running board of an automobile.

In the drawing, wherein similar characters designate similar parts thruout the views, A is a suitable structure, such as a building, including a foundation B, an outside wall C, and a floor D providing a room E, such as the kitchen of a dwelling, the grade or ground level at the exterior of the structure being shown at F; and, G suitable apparatus for the storage and utilization of liquefied gas, such as propane (Cal-Ia) which is a gas at all temperatures down to 44 Fahrenheit, at atmospheric pressure, but when under pressure, say approximately 120 pounds per square inch at 70 Fahrenheit, the gas is compressed to a The apparatus G may include a vessel H, means J for controlling egress of vapors from vessel H, means K for reducing and regulating the pressure of vapors finding egress from vessel H thru means J, a consumer's conduit line L in communication with means K, and a consumers appliance M, such as a gas stove.

In the example shown, means N is provided to raise and lower the vessel H, means 0 to weigh the liquid contents of vessel H, and a suitable housing P for some or all of the parts of the apparatus G which are exteriorly of the structure A, to protect same from the weather and to prevent tampering by children or unauthorized persons.

Thruout this specification, and in the claims, reference is made to high pressure liquefied gas, and this term is to be understood as a relative term, for comparison with the low pressure desired in the service line. The term high pressure is to be understood as referring to a pressure at which the fuel remains in a liquid stage, such as propane at 70 Fahrenheit, 120 lbs., per square inch vapor pressure, which would not be suitable for the appliance M and is referred to as high pressure for comparison with the gas fiow or low pressure of approximately one poundper square inch or less in the line L.

The vessel H is preferably an elongated cylindrical tank or other closed vessel, including a cylindrical body portion 3, top wall 4, bottom wall 5 and a partition 6 preferably adjacent the top wall 4, the partition 6 dividing the vessel into a relatively large chamber '7 and a relatively small chamber 8 thereabove. The chamber '1 accommodates a major supply 9 of liquefied gas, and the chamber 8, a relatively small or minor supply 10 of liquefied gas. As a typical example, the capacity of chamber '1 may be 45 pounds of liquefied gas, leaving sufiicient space for vapor 11 arising from the major supply 9 and to take care of changes in temperature, while the chamber 8 may accommodate five pounds of liquefied gas, with space for vapor arising from supply 10 and to likewise take care of changes in temperature. Liquefied gas may be introduced into chamber '7, and vapor 11 may find exit therefrom thru port 13 which, in the example shown extends thru the chamber 8. Liquefied gas may be introduced into chamber 8 thru port 14 which also permits the vapor 12 to escape therefrom when control means J is arranged for use of the minor supply 10 of liquefied gas.

Means J, in the example shown, includes a control valve 15 for port 13 and a control valve 16 for port 14, there being a single outlet connection 1'7 which communicates with valves 15 and 16 thru cross port 18. In Figure 2 a suitable cap 19 is shown over the outlet connection 17.

This maybe used when transporting the vessel so as to prevent the entrance of dirt and moisture.

As suitable means for reducing and regulating the pressure of the vapor finding egress from vessel H, thru control means J, the means K may comprise a pressure reducing regulator 20 of any suitable type, having detachable connection with the outlet connection 17 as by coupling 21 at the high pressure side of the regulator, and

with theline L at the low pressure side thru connection 22, preferably including a length of flexible hose 23 which permits the pressure regulator to be raised and lowered as hereinafter described.

The consumer's conduit line L may comprise a pipe length 24 extending thru wall C, and such other fittings 25 and 26 as may be necessary to provide an operative connection between means K and the appliance M where the gas is utilized.

As conveniences in the practicing of the meth- 0d, and taking into consideration the fact that.

vessel H may initially contain 50 pounds of liquefied gas, means N and 0 may be provided, the former to conveniently raise and lower the vessel with respect to the ground level F, and the latter to weigh the liquid contents of the vessel from time to time in a manner that means 0 will act as a signal device.

Means N may comprise a hanger 30, guided in its vertical movement by a bracket 31 secured to wall C, a screw '32 connected to hanger 30 and movable with respect to bracket 31; and a nut 33 for screw 32, mounted upon bracket 31, which nut may be rotated to feed screw 32 upwardly or downwardly according to the direction of rotation imparted to the nut.

Means 0 may be in the form of a scale including a scale beam 34 pivotally supported by hanger 30, and including a sleeve section 35 and a stem section 36 slidable with respect to section 35 for weighing purposes, a suitable poise 37 being rigidly secured to the free end of stem section 36. By means of a stirrup 38, the pressure reducing regulator 20 may be pendently supported by beam 34, as thru eye bolt 39 pendently arranged with respect to stirrup 38.

It is preferred to arrange the housing P to enclose the means J, K, N and O, a suitable slot 40 being provided in a side wall 41 of the housing thruwhich the stem section 36 of scale beam 34 extends and is visible for quite some distance, so that it may act as a signal device in this manner, if the poise 37 is arranged to counterbalance the weight of the liquefied gas in vessel H, the scale beam assumes'a horizontal position; if the ,weight of the liquefied gas is such as to overbalance the poise 3'7, the scale beam assumes an upwardly extending diagonal position with respect to housing P; and if the poise 37 overbalances the weight of the liquefied gas in vessel H, the scale beam will extend outwardly and downwardly from the housing. By use of means 0, the consumer may weigh the quantity of liquefied gas furnished by the vendor and from time to time check the quantity in storage. By arranging the scale with its graduations to weigh the quantity of liquefied gas in the reserve chamber 8, plus a small quantity in the large chamber '7, the scale beam'may be used as a signal to indicate an approach to that period where resort must be had to the reserve supply of liquefied gas it a charged vessel is not substituted for that in use. In this way, it may be possible to start using the reserve supply prior to the time the major supply 9 is exhausted and thus avoid extinguishment of the fiame at the appliance M if it should be in use at a time when the major supply of liquefied gas is depleted.

In carrying out the method, a major supply 9, and a minor supply 10 of liquefied gas is provided, as by charging the chambers 7 and 8, respectively, of the closed vessel H to its full working capacity with such liquefied gas under high pressure. Vapor 11 arising from the major supply is then reduced to a low pressure, as by passage thru means K, say to substantially one pound per square inch or less and conducted in gaseous form thru line L to the customer's appliances. When substantially all of the major supply of liquefied gas is exhausted, vapor 12 arising from the minor supply 10 is then reduced to a low pressure as by passage thru the same means K, to the appliance M, thru line L. In this way the customer is not likely to run out of a supply of liquefied gas for as soon as the major supply is exhausted and resort is had to the minor supply, arrangements may be made t0 replenish both supplies, determining the most opportune time to accomplish this before the minor supply is depleted. In doing so, the customer may arrange to make the trip to the supply depot or station with the vessel H, which has been used, at a time when the gas appliances will not be greatly needed. In practice the vessel H is lowered to the ground level F by manipulation of means N and detached from means K. The charged vessel shown in Figure 2, is obtained at the service depot or station and coupled to means K, after which it is raised by again manipulating means N to suspend the vessel as shown in Figure 1. Upon opening control valve 15 the liquefied gas in chamber 7 may then be utilized and. the procedure repeated, resorting to the minor supply 10 when needed. When utilizing the minor supply, as by opening control valve 16, it is not necessary to close control valve 15 and there are advantages in permitting vapor from; chamber 8 to enter chamber 7, when the major supply 9 of liquefied gas is exhausted. For instance, in the event of heavy consumption of gas by the consumer, the metal of the vessel H which provides the chamber '7 will absorb heat units during cold weather and assist in vaporizing the liquefied gas in chamber 8.

appliances for a reasonable period of time,-

until it is convenient to obtain a new supply. With a practical method requiring only one storage vessel on the consumers premises at a time the possibility of vessels becoming lost, unduly subjected to the elements or being placed in hazardous situations is to a great degree avoided.

The method enables the consumer to reduce expenses by transporting the liquefied gas while on business or pleasure trips so that the cost of transportation is practically negligible. It ena bles the vender to profitably supply even those consumers whose requirements are relatively small, or where the demand may extend thru out only a few months of the year, such as at summer cottages, camps, fairs, circuses, carnivals or for use on boats, popcorn, sandwich and refrigerator trucks.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of supplying gas to a gas consuming appliance, which consists in substantially depleting a supply of liquefied gas under high pressure in a relatively large chamber by releasing the, contents in the form of a vapor, converting the vapor into a gas by reducing the pressure thereof and conducting said gas to said appliance, then releasing into said chamber vaporfrom a second source of liquefied gas under high pressure in a second relatively small chamber, converting said vapor into a gas by reducing the pressure thereof and conducting the second mentioned gas to said appliance.

2. The method of supplying gas to a gas consuming appliance, which consists in substantially depleting a supply of liquefied gas under high pressure in a relatively large chamber by releasing the contents in the form of a vapor, converting the vapor into a gas by reducing the pressure thereof and conducting said gas to said appliance, then releasing into said chamber vapor from a second source of liquefied gas under high pressure in a second relatively small chambenthen simultaneously conducting vapor from both chambers, then reducing the pres- PAUL s. ENDA-COTT. 

